Expanded Standardized Admissions Criteria and First Semester Academic Success in Baccalaureate Nursing Programs

Sunday, 17 November 2019: 10:45 AM

Julie Twidwell, PhD, RN, CNE
Department of Nursing, Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau, MO, USA
Kuei-Hsiang Hsueh, PhD, RN
College of Nursing, University of Missouri-St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
Kathie Records, PhD, RN, FAAN
School of Nursing, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA
Kimberly Allen, PhD
Academic Affairs, Maryville University, St. Louis, MO, USA
Ericka J. Sanner-Stiehr, PhD, RN
College of Nursing and Professional Disciplines, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA

The number of Americans aged 65 years or older are projected to almost double from 39.6 million in 2009 to 72.1 million by 2030 (Administration of Community Living, 2015), and concurrently, over half (55%) of the nursing workforce is approaching retirement age (American Associations of Colleges of Nursing [AACN], 2017). Prelicensure programs of nursing must meet workforce demands by preparing a sustainable supply of Registered Nurses (RNs). One way to meet this demand is to reduce attrition rates which often occur early in the program due to academic failure. The lack of program retention is a widespread problem with most attrition occurring during the first semester of the nursing program (Abele, Penprose, & Ternes, 2013; Merkley, 2016). Research suggests that many nursing students who are unsuccessful during the first semester, may not have demonstrated the academic aptitude upon admission (Pitt, Powess, Levett-Jones, & Hunter, 2012)

With calls to increase diversity in baccalaureate pre-licensure programs of nursing, admission criteria assessing more holistic attributes of applicants such as volunteer work and the ability to speak a second language may be used (AACN, 2016; AAMC, 2013). Subjective information such as interviews and written essays may also be useful in determining the unique characteristics that an applicant may contribute to a nursing program (Bennett, Bormann, Lovan, & Cobb, 2018). While baccalaureate programs of nursing can utilize holistic admissions criteria processes that also include the evaluation of unique applicant attributes and experiences, academic metrics remain crucial components (Association of American Medical Colleges [AAMC], 2013).

A nonexperimental, retrospective, complex association design study was conducted at a Midwest baccalaureate nursing program to determine if a relationship exists between current scholastic knowledge (HESI A2 scores), critical thinking ability (HESI A2 Critical Thinking score), and prior academic performance (pre-nursing overall GPA), and first-semester student success. The Nursing Cognitive Aptitude Model (NCAM) served as the theoretical framework (Twidwell, Sanner-Stiehr, Allen, Records, & Hsueh, 2019). The purpose of this study was to determine whether the utilization of an expanded set of admission criteria, in addition to GPA, may be a better predictor of student academic success. Instead of utilizing GPA as a single admission criterion, it was hypothesized that a more comprehensive measure of cognitive aptitude, as depicted in the NCAM, may yield more critical information regarding academic success

Linear and logistical regression results indicated that critical thinking ability was the best predictor of satisfactory academic progression. Current scholastic knowledge, critical thinking ability, and prior academic performance were all predictive of first-semester overall GPA. Critical thinking ability was predictive of course performance in all first-semester nursing courses.

This study supported use of the NCAM as a valid conceptual framework and the measure of current scholastic knowledge, critical thinking ability, and prior academic performance as predictive admission criteria. While academic metrics are not the only assessments that should be considered when considering an applicant for admission into a nursing program, when they are used, they must be valid predictors. These results can help educators select applicants most likely to achieve academic success and reduce attrition, increasing the number of nurses entering the workforce.

See more of: C 16
See more of: Oral Paper & Poster: Education Sessions